


Crater, fire, sky, smoke.

by bellfort3



Series: MCYT Maximum Ride AU [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF, sbi - Fandom, sleepy bois incorporated - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Dadza, Fluff, Other, TechnoBlade, They ARE brothers, They have powers, Tommy centric, Tommy gets hurt, Tommy needs a hug, TommyInnit - Freeform, Wilbur Soot - Freeform, mcyt - Freeform, mcyters - Freeform, philza - Freeform, philza minecraft, sbi, sbi fd, sleepy bois inc - Freeform, techno, they are family, they have wings, tommy and phil, tommy and techno, tommy and tubbo, tommy and wilbur - Freeform, tubbo and tommy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:33:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27993831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bellfort3/pseuds/bellfort3
Summary: SBI's base is attacked by Erasers (wolf-human hybrids) and Tommy uses his power of energy manipulation to defeat them (basically he blows everything up). As a result, Tommy gets lost in a ditch, severely injured, and seeking help. Wilbur and Techno find him and take him home.
Relationships: Dream Team - Relationship, Family Dynamic - Relationship, No Romantic Relationship(s), SBI - Relationship, Sleepy Bois Inc - Relationship, they are brothers your honor - Relationship
Series: MCYT Maximum Ride AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2050299
Comments: 18
Kudos: 254





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> HI! This is the first part of my MCYT Maximum Ride AU! If you haven't read the books or don't know what Maximum Ride is, it is a book series by James Patterson about this group of teenagers that have been experimented on and genetically mutated to be part bird. They have wings and powers. In the books, the Flock has escaped the lab and is on the run while Erasers (wolf-human hybrids) hunt them down. It's a really cool series so if you like this, I strongly suggest checking it out:)
> 
> SBI list of powers and such  
> Tommy:  
> •wings of a northern cardinal-red and black  
> -super speed and agility  
> -can manipulate existing energy  
> -emotions correlate with strength and ability  
> -increased healing factor  
> Wilbur:  
> •wings of a songbird-light gray and yellow  
> -a siren-can control people by singing to them and telling them what to do  
> -can read minds and send thoughts to others  
> -can project voice very loudly  
> Techno:  
> •wings of a peregrine falcon-speckled brown  
> -super speed and agility  
> -enhanced reflexes  
> -enhanced senses  
> -increased durability  
> -increased healing factor  
> -enhanced strength  
> -ability to predict someone’s movements right before they happen  
> Phil:  
> •wings of a raven-jet black  
> -an empathy-can read others emotions  
> -can absorb or project emotions  
> -increased durability  
> -power manipulation-can full or heighten one’s abilities through emotions  
> -power detection  
> Also Tubbo:  
> •wings of a yellow-breathed chat-gray and yellow  
> -increased durability  
> -enhanced speed and agility  
> -power of invisibility  
> -barrier creation  
> -power detection  
> -photographic memory

Tommy woke up abruptly, his body jerking as if he’d been tased. As soon as his system recognized that he was conscious, it was flooded with sensory signals. His entire body ached, the occasional tremor causing him to shiver where he lay. His ears were ringing and he couldn’t form a coherent thought past the pounding in his head. He was vaguely aware that he was hurt-something hot and sticky coated his left side and his back and wings were sore. He forced his eyes open, cursing when he was practically blinded by the fire roaring around him.

“Tommy! Tommy, where are you!” 

Tommy perked up, turning his head towards the sound. His eyes fell upon the sky. The night was fast approaching. Tommy could already see stars poking out of the darkness and the smoke. 

_ “Tommy, can you hear me?” _

Tommy started. This time, the voice had come from inside of him. The question echoed in his brain, only making his already existing headache worse. 

_ “Tommy, think about where you are. What do your surroundings look like?” _

The pain was so severe that Tommy couldn’t hold back the whine that escaped his chapped lips. Tears leaked out of his eyes and he squeezed them shut to try and stop the burning sensation. His head hurt so bad; it felt like someone was inside of his skull playing the drums. 

_ “I know it hurts. The quicker I can find you, the sooner the pain will be over.” _

Tommy choked out a sob before opening his head once more. He took in his surroundings-the crater he was lying in, the ring of fire surrounding him, the indigo sky above him, the smoke obscuring his vision. He thought about it on loop.  _ Crater, fire, sky, smoke. Crater, fire, sky, smoke. Crater, fire, sky, smoke.  _

Tommy was about to close his eyes again when a figure blocked out the sky above him and flew through the smoke. 

“Tommy!” 

Wilbur landed on the packed earth a few feet away from him, sending up a plume of dust and dirt as his wings brushed the ground. He ran forward, stumbling to an ungraceful stop by Tommy’s side.

“Tommy…” Wilbur was crying, tears streaking down his grimy cheeks. He was also bleeding, a gash on his temple gushing red and black blood. Somewhere along the way, he had lost his favored beanie, his unkempt hair sticking to his sweaty forehead. His brown eyes were alight with both worry and relief. 

Tommy tried for a smile, but it just ended up looking more like a painful grimace. He opened his mouth to say something and immediately fell into a coughing fit.

Wilbur immediately shushed him. “Don’t try to talk. You need to save your strength until I can get you back home. The others are there waiting for us. Can you stand?”

Tommy glanced down at himself. His entire left side was raw, his clothes seared away and leaving his scratched and bleeding skin open to the air. He was sticky with blood that he wasn’t sure where it originated from and his muscles ached from an act he couldn’t quite remember. Slowly, the teen tried to roll over onto his back so that he could stand up, but stopped as soon as pressure landed on his wings. He screamed before flopping back onto his side. His back was on fire, igniting his wings like they were covered in gasoline. Tears were falling down his face at a rapid pace, his chest heaving with the effort to breathe through the pain and smoke. 

“What hurts?” Wilbur asked, hands fluttering over him. 

Tommy screwed his eyes shut and shook his head. His wings-his wings were  _ broken.  _ Now that he knew they were injured, he could feel and detect every little thing that was wrong. The bones protruding from his back which connected his wings to his body were snapped clean in half, a majority of his smaller flight bones either completely shattered or displaced. 

“Oh, shit, your  _ wings, _ ” Wilbur cursed, and from the way Tommy’s head throbbed, he knew Wilbur had read his mind again. “Fuck, how am I gonna get you home if you can’t fly? I don’t think I can carry you.”

Tommy couldn’t think past the pain in his wings. They were so sensitive that even the slightest gust of wind caused tremendous discomfort. His back was screaming at him for relief, his broken bones currently digging into the inner muscles of his lats. His tendons and muscles were being torn to shreds, his insides bleeding profusely. He knew the damage was severe. He knew how hard it was for their wings to heal. He knew there was a good chance that he never flew again after this.

Wilbur ran a timid hand through his blonde locks. “Hold tight, I’m gonna call for Techno,” He said. Tommy nodded and watched that distant look pass over Wilbur’s face as he barreled towards Techno’s mind, burrowing into his thoughts and leaving his message for the other to hear.

“He says he’s on his way,” Wilbur said a second later. “He’s twenty minutes out.”

Tommy nodded again, his cheek digging into the compact earth beneath him. The ground was cool and soothed his burning skin. He yearned to close his eyes and go back to sleep. The pain couldn’t reach him if he was asleep. 

Ignoring Wilbur’s protests for him to stay awake, Tommy let his eyes flutter closed and succumbed to the darkness that greeted him with open arms. 

\-----

“Holy shit.”

“I know. It’s so much worse than I originally thought.”

“His wings…”

“Completely and utterly broken. He definitely won’t be flying for a good while. Do you think you can carry him home?”

Tommy felt sleep peel off of him like wet clothing. He whined, wanting so badly to stay unconscious. Already, he could feel the pain coming back.

“Tommy?” 

“Hold on, I don’t know if we should wake him.”

“I think it’s a little late for that.” 

Tommy blinked the last of his sleep away, opening his eyes to see two broad figures standing over them. One of them was Wilbur, looking the same as he had left him, if not a bit calmer. The other was Techno, with his speckled wings outstretched and shielding him from the plume of smoke overhead. It seemed as if the fire had been mostly or entirely distinguished in his sleep. Black smog clogged the night sky. 

Tommy coughed minutely. “...how long was I out?” he croaked, voice a wreck.

Wilbur hummed. “About half an hour. Do you feel any better?”

Physically, yeah, Tommy could admit that the pain had subsided. Whether this was because he was actually healing or if his body had just gotten used to it, he didn’t know. Either way, he was grateful for the small amount of relief. 

“A little. I’m afraid to move, though,” the teen admitted. 

Techno cringed above him, sweeping his brown eyes over to glance at Wilbur. Wilbur did the same. 

“What?” Tommy demanded.

Wilbur wrung his hands together. His knuckles were black and blue, Tommy noticed. “We’re just afraid that your wings have already started to heal,” he said.

“ _ Wrong _ ,” Techno added. “Heal  _ wrong. _ ”

Dread pooled in the pit of Tommy’s stomach. He knew what they were suggesting and he knew that they were probably right. 30 minutes gave his enhanced healing factor plenty of time to mend his broken bones. The problem was that they had most likely healed incorrectly, according to the soreness and how unusually stiff his wings felt. 

“Fuck,” Tommy cursed.

Wilbur inclined his head. “‘Fuck’ is right.”

Tommy was torn between wanting to go home and staying in his little crater forever. The good thing about going home was well, going home. But when he got home he knew Phil would be waiting there, ready to re-break his wings so that this time, they could heal correctly. If he stayed in the crater, he wouldn’t have to go through that.

“Well,” Techno interrupted with a rough clearing of his throat. He snapped his wings back into his back abruptly, stirring up the smoke around them. “Let’s get this over with.”

Tommy moaned in despair. “Nooo, let me beee.”

Techno rolled his eyes as he kneeled by Tommy’s side. “Oh, spare me. You did this to yourself.”

Tommy glared at Techno from his spot on the ground. “Wilbur,” he spat. “Send Techno home. I’d rather walk than let this bitch touch me.” 

Now it was Wilbur’s turn to roll his eyes. “Stop being so dramatic and let him carry you. We really don’t have any time to waste.” 

Tommy knew he was right. Because the Erasers had found them, their location was now compromised. It didn’t matter that Tommy had charred half the land and created a huge crater in his efforts to defeat them and protect his family. They still had to be gone by morning if they had any chance of staying hidden. 

Tommy huffed. “You know, a thank you would be nice.”

Techno slotted his hands under Tommy’s armpit and knees. “What am I thanking you for again?” He asked before hoisting Tommy up off the ground. 

Tommy didn’t have time to mentally prepare himself for the pain being jostled caused him. He bit down hard on his bottom lip to muffle the scream he let out. Techno ignored it and adjusted Tommy further, moving him so he was carrying the teen bridal style. Once they were both situated, Tommy was left breathless and faint. 

“I think he wants you to thank him for saving us,” Wilbur said once Tommy was done screaming. He had popped his wings out, the yellow-feathered tips resting on the ground. Techno and Phil hated when he did that. It dirtied his feathers. 

Techno scoffed, blowing a lock of pastel pink hair out of his face in the process. “And by ‘saving us’ you mean compromising our location further? Yeah, right.”

Tommy felt himself flush. “Our location was  _ already _ compromised! I saved us because I killed every last one of those wolf-bastards.”

“You also knocked Wilbur out of the sky with your explosion and left a car-sized hole in our backyard,” Techno said matter-of-factly. He also popped his wings out, spreading them to their full length. 

Tommy glanced at Wilbur guiltily. So,  _ that’s _ why his brother was bleeding. If Tommy was being honest, he couldn’t really remember anything after the initial explosion. 

He wasn’t sure if Wilbur read his mind or not based on what he said next. “No one else was hurt, though. Tubbo was able to create a forcefield around Techno and Phil. I was just too far away. And I’m fine anyway,” the brunette reassured. 

Tommy nodded numbly. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I...I thought I could control it better.”

Wilbur took a step forward and ruffled Tommy’s hair lovingly. “It’s okay, Toms. You’ll get there one day.”

Techno grunted in agreement. 

“Now, the last one home is roadkill!” Wilbur stepped away and cried before extending his wings and exploding upwards. 

Techno spluttered. “That’s not fair! I’m the one carrying Tommy!”

“You’re also the one with superspeed!” Wilbur yelled back at them, voice still heard loud and clear considering how far ahead he was already. 

Techno huffed in annoyance before also taking off. He took to the air smoothly, making sure to glide a bit more than usual. Tommy was quiet in his arms, eyes trained on the open night sky. Techno wondered what he was thinking about. He didn’t ask.

\-----

Twenty minutes of flying in silence passed quicker than Tommy would have liked, even though Techno was flying at normal speeds. They had still managed to beat Wilbur back to the house, who landed on the balcony a few seconds after them.

Tommy had been right-Phil was waiting for them. The older man pushed open the screen door and hurried out onto the balcony, a worried expression on his face. Phil was looking especially old these days, Tommy noted. Maybe he wasn’t sleeping enough. Maybe he was worrying too much. 

“Tommy,” Phil sighed in relief as he approached the pair. His evergreen eyes glossed over Tommy’s broken body before addressing Techno who was still carrying him. “Here, let’s set him on the couch.”

Techno obliged, following Phil back into the house, Wilbur trailing after them. The entryway opened up into the living room, where an old, tattered couch sat in front of a coffee table and a small tv. Tubbo was currently sitting in the middle of the couch, head between his hands in an anxious manner. 

“Tubbo,” Phil addressed the dark-haired teen as the living room quickly became crowded with bodies and wings. “Can you move to the floor to make some room for Tommy?”

Tubbo’s head shot up, his light blue eyes flickering between each member of his makeshift family before landing on the teen sat in Techno’s arms. 

“Tommy,” he barely dared to breathe. The feathers of his wings ruffled as he stood. That was something that only happened to the teens-their feathers would ruffle whenever they felt nervous or uneasy.

Tommy tried for a smile as Techno gently placed him down on the spot Tubbo had been just a moment before. “Hey, Tubbo.”

The pair stared at each other before Tubbo closed the space between them and hugged Tommy. He buried his face in the crook between Tommy’s neck and shoulder, his watering eyes wetting the soft material of his shirt.

“I’m sorry,” Tubbo cried, holding onto Tommy tightly as if he were afraid the younger would slip through his fingers. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you.”

Tommy breathed through the discomfort in his wings and gingerly hugged Tubbo back. “It’s okay,” he mumbled into his hair. “I’m okay.”

Tubbo shook his head minutely, stifling a sob into Tommy’s neck. Tommy didn’t know what else to do besides hold him. 

The other three looked on awkwardly until Techno noticed the blood staining the back of the couch where Tommy’s damaged wings lay. 

“Okay, okay,” the older said, striding forward and gently separating Tubbo from Tommy. “That’s enough for now. Tommy’s hurt. Let’s give Phil the chance to look at him.”

Tubbo sniffled and allowed himself to be pulled away, wiping his nose on the back of his hand. He shifted to stand beside Wilbur, who placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. 

Phil inclined his head towards Techno in appreciation. “Tubbo, why don’t you go help Wilbur clean up? You know how he feels about blood and I need Techno here to help with Tommy.”

Tubbo allowed himself to be dragged away with Wilbur, but not before throwing another apologetic look over his shoulder at Tommy. Even though Phil had told him multiple times already, he couldn’t help but think that Tommy getting hurt was  _ his  _ fault.  _ He _ was the one with shielding powers, after all. Why hadn’t he been able to extend his power to not only Tommy but to Wilbur as well? How had he failed to protect his family? It was the one thing he could do, and he couldn’t even do it right. 

Faintly, Tubbo recognized the dull throb in the back of his head. He paused, whirling on Wilbur, who had made it to the bathroom and was rummaging through the cabinet behind the mirror.

“Hey! Get out of my head!” 

Wilbur shrugged. “You aren’t using your powers.”

“That doesn’t give you the right to shuffle through my thoughts!” When Tubbo used his shielding powers, it extended to his mind and blocked mental manipulations, including Wilbur’s powers of mind reading. “Techno and Tommy don’t have mental blocks and you don’t shuffle through their minds!”

Wilbur shrugged again, acting aloof as he pulled down the first-aid kit and plopped himself down on the toilet. He popped open the lid and held it out to Tubbo. “Can you clean my forehead?”

Tubbo scoffed. “Can you get out of my head?”

“Sure, as soon as you admit Tommy’s injuries weren’t your fault.”

Tubbo flinched as if he’d been slapped. Even though he knew Wilbur had been reading his mind, it was still weird to hear him say his own thoughts back at him. “What?”

“I’ll get out of your head when you stop beating yourself up for something that wasn’t your fault,” Wilbur repeated calmly and thrust the first-aid kit into Tubbo’s hands, no longer waiting for him to take it. 

Tubbo spluttered. “But don’t you think I could’ve done  _ something- _ ”

“No,” Wilbur interrupted. 

“I could’ve extended my shields to both you and-”

“No, you couldn't've.”

“Wilbur, yes-”

“No.”

Tubbo snapped his mouth shut, glaring at the older. Wilbur just smiled sweetly.

“If you could have done anything more, you would have. It’s as simple as that,” Wilbur said and glanced away from Tubbo. The throb in Tubbo’s head disappeared with Wilbur’s presence. 

Tubbo hung his head in shame. Silently, he pulled a wad of gauze out of the first-aid kit and set it on the sink. He grabbed a washcloth and ran it under hot water for a moment before turning to Wilbur and asking him to raise his head. Wilbur complied, and let his eyes flutter closed as Tubbo started dabbing at the cut on his temple with the washcloth.

\-----

Back in the living room, Tommy was screaming. 

“Nononono, it’s  _ fine. _ I actually  _ prefer _ my wings like this. Please, no, not again-” Tommy’s incessant blubbering was cut off as Techno snapped his left wing and Tommy shrieked in pain. Phil quickly moved in and adjusted the broken wing into a sling so that it could heal correctly, the whole time Tommy crying and begging for him to stop. 

“There!” Phil said, stepping away once the wing was fitted into its makeshift sling. “All done. Tommy, we’re  _ all done. _ ”

Tommy sobbed, but this time out of relief. He sagged against Phil, just letting it all out on the older man. Phil let him, rubbing soothing circles on the teen’s back. 

“Shh, it’s okay,” Phil cooed. “You did great, Toms.”

Tommy buried his head into Phil’s chest, similar to how Tubbo had done to him earlier. Lying there snuggled up against his father-figure, he finally let himself feel everything. The day caught up to him, the events replaying in his mind and body like a scratched record player. He remembered sitting in the backyard with Wilbur, listening to the older strum an old guitar he had found at the GoodWill when they had gone earlier in the week when Techno threw open the screen door up on the balcony above them. 

“Guys, come inside,” he had said, beady eyes trained on the horizon. 

Wilbur paused his strumming. “Why? It’s such a nice day outside.”

Tommy hummed in agreement. He was lying back on the grass, red and black wings spread out above him. He was relishing in the feeling of the sun against his feathers. 

Techno placed his hands on the railing, never looking away from the treeline. “Something’s wrong. I can feel it.”

Tommy couldn’t help but scoff. “That’s a bit dramatic, don't ya think?”

Wilbur laughed, about to say something else when something burst out of the forest behind them. Wilbur turned, his face paling at the sight of a gang of five or so Erasers charging right for them. They were galloping on all fours, their deformed snouts set in a permanent snarl. Their beady red eyes were shining with what could only be bloodlust. 

Techno let out a string of course before leaping off the balcony railing and taking flight. Behind him, Phil and Tubbo had exited the house and were staring down at the scene before them in horror. 

Tommy and Wilbur had shot to their feet, peaceful afternoon on the lawn completely forgotten. Wilbur was already in the air, flying straight towards the intruders. Tommy knew what he was doing-he was trying to get close enough to mind control them and send them away. Tommy couldn’t let him get that close alone. Strength wise, Wilbur was the weakest out of all of them. 

Tommy gave himself a running start before launching upwards, pumping his wings to catch up to Wilbur. Wilbur, who was circling low to the Erasers, lips parted in song, didn’t see the other two Erasers emerge from the brush on his left. 

“Wilbur!” Tommy cried out, pushing his wings to pump harder,  _ faster _ , but it was evident that he wasn’t going to get there in time. The wolf-human hybrids already had Wilbur surrounded, and more kept coming from the woods. It was obvious that they had planned a staggered attack to catch the bird-human hybrids off guard. 

In one last act of desperation, Tommy channeled the existing energy inside him. He didn’t know how to explain it other than saying he exploded. All the fear and anger and adrenaline burst out of him in a display of fire and smoke. All nine of the present Erasers were instantly disintegrated, reduced to nothing more than heaps of dust and fur. Wilbur had wrapped his wings around himself just in time to be shot backward, the force of the explosion carrying over the treeline and into the depths of the forest. Tommy, on the other hand, was blown in the opposite direction. The teen skyrocketed further into the yard, all of his energy gone from conjuring such a powerful explosion. He slipped in and out of consciousness as he plummeted towards the ground, too out of it to open his wings and guide himself into a smoother landing. He hit the hard earth about a quarter mile out from the explosion, letting the blackness take him on impact. 

Tomy shuddered. He was glad he couldn’t remember anything after that. That would mean being able to recall both the feeling and the sound of his bones crunching under him as he landed flat on my wings. That would mean being able to recall the way he flipped and skidded another 30 feet, completely tearing up his left side, before finally coming to a stop. That would mean being able to recall the pain that ached from somewhere deep within, a throbbing, pulsating sensation that resided in his chest. The feeling of building up all of his existing energy just to force it out of him in a desperate display of power. 

Phil felt Tommy shiver against him. The older blond glanced down at the boy. Tommy has curled up a tight ball, his knees tucked up to his chest and his chin resting on them. He was crying silently, his body shaking with sobs that he wouldn’t let out. Phil could feel the aura of hurt surrounding him, no matter if it was physical or emotional pain. His heart broke at the sight of his son hurting. 

_ “Ease him.” _

Phil glanced over his shoulder at Wilbur standing in the hallway. His wing was outstretched, obscuring the view of the living room so that Tubbo couldn’t see it from where he stood behind his brother. 

_ “Tubbo shouldn’t see Tommy like this.” _

Phil met Wilbur’s eyes through the haze clouding his mind. Phil hated using his powers on the others. While his powers weren’t harmful per se, he still didn’t like the discomfort of knowing he had manipulated them somehow. 

But still, Wilbur was right, wasn’t he? He had the ability to put Tommy at ease, so why wasn’t he?

Phil averted his gaze and instead turned to look at Techno who was standing off to the side, wiping his bloodied hands on the front of his shirt. Techno purposefully avoided his gaze. Phil knew that meant he wouldn’t look if Phil did what Wilbur was suggesting.

Giving in, Phil let his eyes flutter closed and focused on the ocean of power churning within him. He always thought of his power as a wave. It was always there, lapping up against the beach no matter if the tide was low or high, angry or calm. Phil thought of himself as the moon, the only thing capable of controlling his power. He loosened his hold on the ocean now, letting the water surge just the tiniest bit and crawl up the shoreline. He felt it lap against Tommy’s being, pulling away feelings of immense anguish and pain before receding. The next time the water hit Tommy, it left the boy with feelings of contentment and warmth. 

As soon as he felt Tommy relax against him, his powers lulling him to sleep, Phil scrambled to reel his power back in. He pulled the waves back, taming the tides like a cowboy would when riding a particularly rowdy horse. The incessant churning within him resumed, and, satisfied, he glanced down at the boy in his arms. 

“Is Tommy okay?” Tubbo asked as he rounded the corner of the couch. 

Phil looked up, a soft smile on his tired face. “He is for now. It’ll be a rough recovery but I have high hopes.”

Tubbo pursed his lips, looking at Tommy sadly. He took a seat on the couch, sitting on Tommy’s left side. He curled up against the other boy, careful to avoid touching his wings, before also letting himself drift into somewhat of a restless sleep. When the pair were to be shaken awake a mere two hours later, they would pack up their measly belonging, exhaustion still bearing down heavy on them both, before being shuffled out the door and into the wilderness in search of a new home. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's two months since SBI has been forced to move after their original base was compromised. It's been two months since Tommy had flown or used his powers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI again! It's been a hot second, hasn't it? Anyway, I finally got this second part done. It's not what I originally imagined but there is still lots of Wilbur and Tommy content. Pretty fluffy and angsty, I'd say.
> 
> Leave some love if you enjoy <3 it really motivates me to write these so

It had been two months, two  _ full _ months, since Tommy had last flown.

It was normal to see the boy roaming their new base-a small, rickety house built into the side of a heavily wooded mountain-with his wings tucked tightly to his back or even bound. The teen would fold his wings closed and go the extra mile of  _ taping _ them shut with athletic tape, a tactic that Techno used when sparring to keep from using his wings too much. So, why was Tommy binding his wings just to lounge around the house? No one knew.

Well, no one except for Wilbur, that is. 

Wilbur wasn’t even ashamed that he had used his mind-reading powers to access Tommy’s thoughts and figure it out for himself. If you asked him, Wilbur would say he had done them a favor by doing it when he did. 

It was about three weeks into Tommy’s recovery when Wilbur first noticed that something was off. Tommy had healed quite exceptionally, what with his enhanced healing factor completely repairing his wings back to full mobility in a matter of days. Phil had told him to take a few more days off once the slings were removed, advising him to take it easy and that even though his wings felt fine, it was better to give them too much time rather than not enough to fully heal. Tommy had listened willingly, with no whines or complaints, which, when he thought about it, really should've been the first red flag of many. 

Phil had given Tommy permission to fly again the day Wilbur and Tubbo were planning to fly to the nearby village to get some supplies. Usually, Tommy was the one to go with Wilbur, and if someone else volunteered before him, he always tagged along for the flight. Tommy had raved about the new base when they had first gotten there and Phil had flown him around the area. He loved the mountains and the river that ran through the valley below them. He liked the high altitudes and even higher winds. It was the perfect place for a bird of his breed. 

But when Wilbur had asked if he wanted to go with them and Tommy had quickly refused, Wilbur instantly knew that something was wrong. 

“Are you sure?” Wilbur asked, frowning. Tubbo adjusted the satchel slung over his shoulder awkwardly.

Tommy nodded, a quick bob of the head. His blue eyes were wide with something like fear when they glanced up at Wilbur before looking away quickly. “I’m good here, thanks though.”

Wilbur was irked. He wanted to argue further, to bring up every little thing that Tommy claimed to love so much about the trip to the village, but something stopped him. Maybe it was the way Tommy couldn’t hold his gaze, or maybe it was the way the feathers on his wings ruffled anxiously. No matter the cause, Wilbur found himself zoning out slightly, his own mind barreling forward and colliding with Tommy’s. He was efficient about this, entering Tommy’s thoughts stealthily, like a secret ninja. Just a peek was all he needed, and he hoped just a peek wouldn’t give away the fact that he had looked. 

Wilbur came back to himself less than a second later, blinking the haze out of his eyes. He didn’t linger his gaze on Tommy any longer, turning on his heel and walking out the door, Tubbo on his heels. Wilbur’s yellow and gray wings unfurled behind him and he launched himself off the musty welcome mat that sat directly outside the door. The wind caught him with ease, and he glided down the mountainside, letting the views not only take his breath away but steal his thoughts.

He didn’t like what he had seen in Tommy’s thoughts.

He didn’t like that he didn’t know what to do about it. 

And another month and a half later, he still didn’t know what to do about it.

“Tommy, you should join us,” Phil was saying. He was stood by the door, one hand on the knob, about to go outside. Tubbo was already out there waiting for him. Phil was helping Tubbo practice steep dives off the mountainside. 

Tommy was laying on the couch, flicking through the three tv channels that got this high up and not really paying attention. 

“I don’t wanna,” he said, not looking up from the fuzzy screen in front of him. Wilbur entered the living room with a mug of steaming hot coffee between his hands and gestured for Tommy to make space for him. The teen simply lifted his feet in the air and placed them down in Wilbur’s lap once he was seated. 

Phil huffed. “Tommy,” he repeated, harder this time.

The change in tone finally caught Tommy’s attention. He tore his eyes away from the television, fixing Phil with a blank stare. 

“What?” he snapped, perhaps a bit harsher than he intended. 

Phil disguised his flinch with a glare. “I’m not asking this time. Get up and come outside. If you’re not out here in the next five minutes, I permit Wilbur to drag you out.” 

Tommy’s face remained stoic. Wordlessly, he looked away from Phil and back at the tv, ignoring the way Phil’s eyes were burning holes in the side of his head. 

Phil sighed and shot Wilbur a knowing look, who acknowledged it with a nod of his head. With that, Phil left, slamming the door behind him. 

Wilbur wouldn’t consider himself a patient person, but he was intent on waiting the full five minutes out. He was already dealing with an angsty teenager, pile on shame and fear on top of that, and the variable that Tommy had powers linked directly to his emotions, Wilbur was in no hurry to upset him more. 

But five minutes came sooner rather than later, and Wilbur was pushing up off the couch. “Alright, Tommy,” he said, extending a hand down to the teen. “Let’s go.”

Tommy sneered, ignoring his brother’s hand. “If you want me to get off this couch you’re gonna have to mind-control me, bitch.”

Wilbur cocked an eyebrow. Tommy probably hated being mind-controlled the most out of everyone in their found family. Sure, he hated being manipulated, hated being out of control of his own being like everyone else, but he was more scared than spiteful. The simple fact was that he was dangerous, more so than Phil or Tubbo, maybe even Techno depending on the situation. He didn’t like the idea of Wilbur being in control of him, in control of his self-destructive powers. If he couldn’t even trust himself to stay in control, how was he supposed to trust someone else? 

“You don’t mean that,” Wilbur said softly. 

Tommy turned to him sharply, eyes ablaze with icy blue flames. “If you want me to fly, you’re gonna have to make me. I’m not doing it of my own free-will.”

Wilbur glanced to the side, through the windows on the side of the house. He could clearly see Tubbo and Phil outside. Phil was standing on the lawn, tossing up hula hoops for Tubbo to fly through as a warm-up to the lesson. Techno sat to the side, braiding his long pink hair. 

“Why don’t you want to fly, Tommy?” Wilbur asked. “Look at how much fun Tubbo is having. Even if you don’t want to train, you should at least glide a bit.”

Tommy pursed his lips together. He seemed to be holding back the urge to yell. “As if you don’t already know,” he grumbled. 

A chill ran down Wilbur’s spine. “Tommy, it’s been months.”

Tommy didn’t say anything, opting to stare just to the right of Wilbur’s face. 

“What do you think is going to happen?” Wilbur pressed. “What are you afraid of?”

Tommy still refused to look at him. “Have you looked in a mirror lately, Wil?” he asked suddenly. 

Wilbur blinked. “Yeah? Why?”

“There’s a scar on your forehead. Right below your hairline. Do you know where it came from?”

Wilbur’s face flew to his face, caressing the skin of his forehead until the pads of his fingers ran over the roughened skin Tommy was referring to. 

“I did that to you. I blew you out of the sky and you hit your head when you landed, scraping your forehead,” Tommy explained. He glanced down at his hands, clenching and unclenching them methodically. 

Wilbur had known that this was coming. He knew that either he or Tommy would admit it eventually. So, why did it still sting like a slap across the face?

“Tommy…”

“No, don’t  _ do _ that!” Tommy exploded. He sat up on the couch, wings ruffling and pushing against the tape he had wrapped around them. “You know it was my fault. Why can’t you just admit it?”

“I--it’s just a scar, Tommy,” Wilbur said, voice strained. 

“It’s just a scar to _you_ , maybe. But to Techno, it was a home, a safe place to exist. To Tubbo, it was his strength. To Phil, it was almost watching his family get ripped apart for the _fourth_ _time._ ,” Tommy cried. His wings strained harder against their bounds the more he got worked up.

Wilbur took a step forward, reaching our and tentatively placing a hand on Tommy’s shoulder. The teen tensed beneath his touch. 

“What is it to you, Toms?”

Tommy pulled in a shuddering breath. The anger inside of him was quaking, like a candle flame caught in a breeze. 

“Wilbur, I still can’t control it.”

_ There it was.  _

Wilbur sighed. He finally got the child to admit it. “Tommy,” he said quietly, hand squeezing his shoulder. “Can I unbind your wings?”

Tommy tensed again, all the muscles in his back seizing at the mere thought of Wilbur touching him. “...I don’t want to hurt you again.”

Wilbur faltered, hand ghosting over his younger brother’s feathers. “You won’t.”

“How do you know?”

“Trust yourself,” Wilbur said. “You won’t hurt me if you don’t want to.”

“I have before.”

“But you won’t now.”

Tommy opened his mouth to refute again, but snapped his jaw shut at the last second. Looking away from the brunette, he nodded tersely, granting him permission to go ahead. 

Wilbur steeled himself, fingers gently prying at the tape wrapped around Tommy’s red and black wings. His nail scratched the end of one of the pieces and he slowly started to peel it away, careful not to rip out any feather in the process. A few moments later, Wilbur took a step back, crumbling the tape into a ball in his hands. 

“There,” he said, smiling brightly at his handiwork. “All done!”

Tommy took a deep breath before unfurling his wings, letting them stretch along the length of the couch. His feathers ruffled in contentment. 

“Are you up for some flying?” Wilbur asked. 

Tommy looked up at Wilbur then, blue eyes falling into brown ones. Wilbur didn’t even need to read his mind to know what he was thinking. 

“Yes,” Wilbur said, helping his brother stand up. “I’ll come with you. We will do it together.” 

Tommy smiled gratefully and let Wilbur lead him out of the house and out onto the lawn. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said before, this is not what I originally imagined for the second chapter. If you want more content about this particular storyline, please leave a comment telling me and I will continue to expand upon it!!
> 
> Tumblr: bellfort3

**Author's Note:**

> I might do a part 2 to this one-shot where Tommy is re-learning how to fly?? Let me know if you would like that :D


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